Petrol-diesel prices down 9 paise on lower crude cost, stronger rupee
New Delhi, June 2: Lower global crude oil cost, along with a strengthened rupee, pulled the prices of key transportation fuel -- petrol and diesel -- down by around nine paise in the four metro cities.
On Saturday, Brent crude oil prices slipped to around $76 per barrel from $77 a barrel as global supply concerns eased. A decline in global crude oil prices in turn lessen the cost of refined products like gasoline or petrol.
As per the country's pricing mechanism, the domestic petrol prices are dependent on the international fuel price on a 15-day average.
Besides, the Indian rupee has strengthened
On a weekly basis, it appreciated by 72 paise to close at 67.06 against the US dollar from its previous week's close of 67.78 per greenback.
Consequently, in the national capital, petrol was sold at Rs 78.20 per litre, down from Rs 78.29 on Friday, data on the Indian Oil Corp's website showed.
In Mumbai and Chennai, petrol prices were at Rs 86.01 and Rs 81.19 a litre, respectively, down nine paise from Friday's levels.
In Kolkata, petrol price fell by eight paise to Rs 80.84 per litre.
Prices of the key transportation fuels have been cut marginally on a daily basis, under the dynamic pricing system since May 30, as global crude oil prices began to ease.
In tandem with petrol prices, diesel prices also witnessed a decline. In Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai, the fuel was sold at Rs 69.11, Rs 71.66, Rs 73.58 and Rs 72.97 per litre -- all prices down nine paise from Friday's levels.
The recent surge in prices of key transportation fuel was attributed to a rise in crude oil cost, which rose till last week, and the high excise duties levied on the fuel in the country.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
